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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

THEODORE CHRISTIAN, OF NEW' YORK, N. Y.

ROTARY CUTTER-HEAD FOR PLANING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 29,768, dated August 28, 1860.

To all whom t 'may concern:

Be it known that I, THEoDoRE CHRISTIAN, of the city, county, and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPlaning-Hachines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a perspectiveview of the fore or roughing, and smoothing cutter heads and knives,embracing my improvements. Fig. 2 represents a transverse sectionthrough the smoothing cutter head. Fig. 3 represents a transversesection through the roughing cutter head. Fig. 4 represents a plan ofthe dividing saws on the finishing cutter head. Fig. 5 represents someof the different arrangements of compound molding cutters in order toproduce various forms of moldings. Figs. 6 and 7, represent differentforms of moldings produced by changing the position of the cutters inrelation to. each other.

The object of my invention is to facilitate the removal of the wood informing heavy moldings; to prevent. t-he cutters from tearing out thefiber of the wood in cross grained material; to facilitate theadjustment and give increased support to the cutters; to arrange thedividing saws so that their position can be changed in relation to theknives; and also to facilitate the compounding of the cutters to producevarious forms of moldings.

My invention for effecting these objects consists, first, in theapplication to a cutter head of an adjusting mechanism, so arranged asto throw out, and draw in, the cutters, in order to adjust themaccurately in relation to each other; second, in confining the cuttersto the heads, by means of wedges arranged to move in the longitudinaldirection of the knives, and transverse to the axis of the-head, andgive support to the underside of the cutter, so that one set of knivesmay be adjusted without changing the position of the opposite set, as isthe case with the wedges moving in the direction of the axis of thecutter head; third, in arranging on one shaft a series of independentcutter heads, and a series of independent knives, so that both the headsand knives abut, and form a` continuous line of cutters, and also, sothat the position of the knives and heads, may be changed in relation toeach other on the shaft, in order to produce a great variety of perfectcompound moldings with a few varieties of knives; fourth, arranging onthe cutter-head shaft, and between, or at the end of the differentheads, a cruciform saw, so that it may be turned on the shaftindependent of the heads, and its position changed in relation to thecutters as required.

In the accompanying drawings is represented a planing machine embracingmy improvements, which consists of a strong frame (A) in which isarranged two sets of cutter heads (B) (C), the one (B) for roughing outthe material, and bringing it nearly to the required form, and the other(C) for finishing, and giving it a smooth and perfect surface. Both ofthese heads are armed with knives or plane irons, and those (D) in thefore or roughing cutter, are punched or cut out from thin plates ofsteel and placed edgewise side by side in the bed of the cutter head,and held by a cap (E) and by set screws passing through the ends of thehead. The extreme thinness of these irons admits of their being arrangedin relation to each other in the cutter head, so that their cuttingedges will give any required form of outline, to produce any form ofmolding. Both ends of these knives are beveled off to form cutting edgesand may be vreversed in the head. The upper side of the knives isbeveled off in the usual manner, to form a cutting edge, but on theunder side extending back from the cutting edge, is a curved recess(Z2). made so as to give a more acute cutting edge to the knife, whichgreatly facilitates the cutting out and the removal of the chip.

The finishing cut-ter head is composed of several sections orindependent heads C) all attached to a central shaft by means of clampnuts This shaft runs in boxes (d) the caps (e) of which are hinged tothebox so that they can be raised to remove the cutter head and shaft,without being disconnected fro-m the box. The heads are provided with aseries of arms (F) against which the knives (f) are clamped by means ofclamping plates (G). The outer face of the arms is curved, and the innerface against which the knives rest is a plane whose directioncorresponds to a chord of the circle of revolution of the cutters, andthe position of the planes in the different heads, correspond and are inline with each other throughout so that the edges of the knives inthedifferent heads are also in line. Any number of these sectional heads,varying in form for plane or molding knives, may be placed upon thecutter shaft at the same time. The arrangement of the heads may bevaried in relation to each other as desired, to receive cutters ofvarious width or forms for planing different description of moldings. Y

The face of the clamping plate (G) is parallel to the plane of the arm,and the lower end (g) is beveled off to correspond to an inclined plane(h) forming the back of the next succeeding arm. 'lhe clamping plate isheld by a screw (7c) by which it is tightened or loosened in order toclamp or uncla-mp the knives. This clamping plate forces the knivesoutward from the center and the knives are held between two planesalmost their entire length, and supported on both sides which gives tothem additional strength and prevents them from springing while at thesame time one knife can be loosened and taken out, without changing theadjustment of the other knives.

On the back or under side of the knives, is an adjustable iron (Z) toassist in breaking the shaving and prevent its running with the grain ofthe wood. Extending through the back of the cutter head is an adjustingscrew (m) for the knives. On the inner end of this screw is a nut (n)with an elongated shank which enters a hole made in the knife to receiveit. By means of this screw and nut the knife can be either thrown out ordrawn in as required and thus adjusted with the greatest precision. Between the cutter heads is placed a dividing saw (H) to be used whenrequired to divide the board into strips, while it is being planed.These saws (H) consist of a plate with radial arms which correspond innumber with the sets of knives in each head. The outer end of these armsare riveted, a hole is made in the center of the plate, through whichthe cutter head shaft passes and the position of these arms or saws areadjustable by turning the plate on the shaft so that the position of thesaws in relation to the cutters may be adjusted as required.

The open space between the saws allows the chips of the cutters and alsothe sawdust to escape and prevents them from clogging the knives or thesaws.

y It will be seen from the construction and arrangement of the sectionalheads, that with a few cutters and heads, their position, as will beseen by reference to Figs. 3, 6, and 7, may be changed in relation toeach other, so as to produce a great variety of moldings perfect in formand outline, as the cutters are so arranged in the different heads, thatthey may be brought in juxtaposition at the cutting point and acontinuous unbroken line formed, as a portion of the curve formed withone of the cutters joins the curve of the next succeeding cutter andneither overlaps or falls short, as is the case when the compound headsare formed with disks whose ends are slotted to receive the sides of thecutter.

Having thus described my improvements in planing machines, what I claimtherein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of a rotary cutter, and planing iron, with anadjusting screw and nut, arranged to pass through the iron,substantially as described whereby the cutters may be drawn out orthrown in, as required to adjust them to each other.

2. The combination of a rotary cutter head a planing iron, and aclamping iron, arranged as described, to hold the iron to the head andprevent its springing.

3. The combination of a series of cutter heads and a series of cutters,constructed and arranged on one shaft, substantially as described, so asto abut, and form a continuous line of cutters, and also so that theposition of the heads and cutters may be changed in relation to eachother'on the shaft, in order to produce a great variety of perfectcompound moldings with a few varieties of cutters.

4. The combination of a cutter head with a cruciform dividing saw,arranged on the same shaft, so that it can be turned and the position ofits arms in relation to the cutter knives changed as required for thepurpose as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have subscribed my name.

THEODORE CHRISTIAN.

Witnesses:

ADoLrH BROWN, JAMES WV. Pon, ALEX M. PRICE.

